Fire of the Rising Sun: Book 3
by Kira Vulpes
Summary: One small decision by Zuko changes how Book 3 goes. General storyline of book 3, but with several twists and lots more action. Bigger focus on Zuko, not so much on Aang. Reviews appreciated.


**Fire of the Rising Sun (Book 3)**

This is my very first Avatar fanfict… It takes place right after Book 2, and follows Book 3's storyline with some twists and way more action (although I didn't mind the original story line). More of a focus on Zuko and others. Enjoy!

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, this isn't all mine. If it were, what would it be doing here? ;)

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In the predawn hours, in which the land truly seems to be asleep, a young man lay on the ground, staring up at the dark, star-studded heavens. He was not sure what it was that had woken him. The small fire had long since burned out, and in the scant moonlight that shone through the trees around him, he could not discern any figures. He did not sense danger, saw no obvious threats, and yet, something had compelled him to awaken. But what?

There was a sudden rustling in the bushes near him. Propping himself up on his elbows, the young man looked about warily. Several minutes passed, and he was just beginning to think that he had imagined things when a woman seemingly materialized in one of the small pools of light beside him. But not just any woman. She was middle-aged, with black hair, gold eyes, and a kind face.

"Zuko?" she asked softly, eyes slightly wide with surprise.

He stared at her, certain that he was dreaming. How long had it been since he'd seen her? "Mother?" he whispered, afraid that she was going to disappear at any moment.

She smiled at him, but there was no warmth in her expression. There was a loud snap behind him, and before he could turn, pain exploded in the back of his head. The last thing he saw before passing out was the satisfied expression on his mother's face.

**Chapter One:**

Zuko awoke with a throbbing headache. Groaning, he opened his eyes and blinked several times as a blinding shaft of sunlight shone in his face. He started to sit up, but a sudden burst of dizziness forced him back down. He closed his eyes as the world spun, and didn't reopen them until the feeling had passed.

This time, he decided to examine his surroundings before trying to move around. Squinting against the light, he noticed that it was streaming through a small window. A small, _barred_ window. What the heck was going on?

He shifted his gaze and noticed four unconscious people lying beside him on the wooden floor. There was enough space for several other people, for the others were spread out. They all had a solid iron manacle around each of their wrists, extending about halfway down the lower arm. A slender yet sturdy looking chain attached the cuffs, allowing some limited movement. Glancing down, Zuko noted that the same thing had been done to him.

Confusion filled him as he recalled the events of the previous night. He'd been captured—that much was clear—but what had his mother had to do with it? Had he been dreaming part of the time, or had he truly seen her? And if he _had_ really seen her… He quickly broke off his train of thought, taking in more details of his surroundings. If the clothing of the others was an accurate reflection of their tribes, then he was in the company of two Earthbenders and a Waterbender. He wasn't sure _what _tribe the fourth person was from, however. She was the closest to him, her long, silvery whitish-blonde hair splayed out beneath her. She wore a dark purple tunic with black designs embroidered on it that came down about to her knees. It had a high collar, short sleeves, and slits extending about half-way up her leg on each side. She wore black leggings under the tunic and black boots that came almost to her knees. Though she seemed delicate, almost fragile-looking, the grim expression on her face and the empty sheath on the belt casually slung about her waist suggested otherwise.

Zuko wondered who she was as he struggled slightly to sit up, his bound arms hindering his movement. The light was no longer shining in his face, making it much easier for him to glance around. He was aware, now, of movement; the floor shook occasionally, and there were a few jarring bumps. He guessed that they were in a covered transport of some sort. So where were they headed? And why? He couldn't understand why the others had been captured—they didn't have any rewards on their head that he knew of, so that more or less ruled out a bounty hunter. The only other person that he could think of that might be responsible for he and the others' capture was a member of the Fire Nation. Abruptly, the image of his mother surfaced in his mind, and he quickly shoved the thought aside Impossible. His mother had always loved him; there was no way that she would ever try to hurt. There had to be another answer, and yet, her expression had suggested otherwise…

He was distracted by another jarring bump that banged his head into the wall he'd been leaning against. He wondered again where they were being taken to. Were they still in the Earth Kingdom? He had no way of judging how much ground they'd traveled, for he didn't know how long he'd been unconscious. It was difficult to determine the angle of the sun from where he was, too, so he wasn't too sure what time of day it was. With a sigh, he sat back against the wall and examined the chains keeping his wrists together. A few experimental tugs revealed that the metal was much stronger than it looked. His twin blades were gone, along with a small dagger that he always carried with him. Since he did not pickpocket for a living he had nothing else that he could use to unlock either the chain or his manacles…except possibly his bending. He could probably melt the chain so his hands would have more freedom and then take it from there. He'd just have to be careful not to get any molten metal on his skin…

Glancing around warily to see if anyone was watching, Zuko prepared to try and free himself. Suddenly, he noticed the blonde girl stir. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing twin shards of crystalline ice tinged with a light blue. Her gaze shifted repeatedly as she took in her surroundings, coming to rest on his face. She stared at his scar for a moment, and recognition flared abruptly in her eyes. She glanced around again, brow creasing slightly in confusion. As she shifted into a more comfortable position, her chains brushed together, creating a jangling noise. She froze, eyes shooting downward and widening slightly in surprise. Her gaze licked back to Zuko, hardening. "What's going on?"

Her tone was cool and icy. Zuko wondered what was going through her mind. She didn't think that _he _was the one responsible for what was going on, did she? "We've been captured, but by whom or for what purpose, I'm not sure."

She was quiet for a moment. "You're Prince Zuko, aren't you? Exiled from the Fire Nation and wanted for treason?"

He stared at her briefly. "What makes you so sure?"

She shrugged. "I've seen the wanted posters."

"Figures," he muttered, glaring at the floor. He was suddenly remembering things he didn't want to remember: his uncle, Iroh, serving tea, making jokes at his expense, teaching him advanced Firebending techniques…Could Iroh ever forgive him for what he had done at Ba Sing Se? Images of his sister, Azula, filtered through his mind, her triumphant expression seeming to mock him now. Bitterness at his unintentional treachery filled him, and he desperately searched for something to distract himself with. "What's your name?" he asked the girl, shoving his memories aside.

"Vayu," she replied. "Now that we're all acquainted, would you mind telling me how you were captured? Perhaps we can figure out what's going on."

"I…" He hesitated, debating in his mind just how much he should say. "I remember that it was dark. I'd just woken up, and I saw…someone I haven't seen in a long time. And then I was knocked out."

Vayu nodded. "I was traveling in the evening when I saw this young man being attacked by some bandits. I went over to help, and just when I was close to defeating the last man, I was ambushed from behind."

"So…they favor attacks at night."

"The question is, though, who are _they_?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe Firebenders?"

A shadow passed over her face. "They're not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Look at their tactics. Look at their captives. It's not like the Fire Nation to capture one or two innocents. You've seen what they've been doing to the Earth Kingdom. You know what they did to the Southern and Northern Water Tribes. And surely you what they did to the Air Nomads. It's all or nothing with the Fire Nation, unless they're pursuing traitors. Our companions look like average citizens to me. What purpose could the Fire Nation have in mind? What could they possibly hope to gain from their actions?" When Zuko didn't offer an immediate reply, she continued, "It's not like the Fire Nation to go to such trouble just to capture a few random travelers."

Zuko frowned. "You're right."

"I mean, to impersonate a friend of yours would imply that they're quite devoted to the finding and capturing of you. But the rest of us seem to have been captured by chance."

"That's strange."

"Indeed." Vayu was quite for a moment. "What I don't get is why someone would go to all the trouble of dressing up as your friend just to knock you out. An ambush is just as effective and, done right, wouldn't even need you to be conscious. So why the extra effort?"

"Lightbenders," a grim voice sounded from the opposite side of the room.

Zuko looked towards the direction that the voice had come from. The Waterbender that he had noticed earlier was awake now, leaning against the wall across from Zuko and Vayu. His arms were wrapped around his legs, which were curled to his chest. His expression was hardened and impassive, though there was the slightest trace of apprehension in his eyes. He had dark brown hair, which came down about halfway between his ear and his shoulder, and dark blue eyes. He looked to be a few years older than Zuko.

"Lightbenders?" Zuko echoed.

"Yeah. I take it you've never heard of them before?"

"Not really…"

"Lightbenders are a type of Firebender who, quite literally, bend the light. They make you see what _they_ want you to see by altering the light and colors around them."

"So basically, they're illusionists," Vayu said.

"Exactly. Not much else is known about Lightbenders. They can supposedly give themselves the appearance of others, and it's been rumored that they studied Soundbending in order to mimic voices accurately. They keep to themselves, though, so no one's really sure about their abilities."

Zuko felt as if he'd been tossed a lifeline. He'd somehow know that it hadn't been his mother, but had been searching for something, _anything_, that could justify what he had seen, and here was the perfect explanation: It was an illusion. He felt relief course through him, and he now knew that he could face his captors. Whoever they were.

The Waterbender was speaking again now, breaking Zuko away from his thoughts. "My name's Tajrik, by the way. What are yours?"

"Vayu," replied Vayu.

Tajrik nodded and glanced questioningly at Zuko. He hesitated, the name Lee ready on his lips, but decided against it. He was not the same person he'd been when he'd first come to Ba Sing Se in the guise of a refugee, and didn't want to be reminded of what had been. Instead, he simply shook his head. Tajrik said nothing, though there was a look of curiosity in his eyes.

The wagon drew to a sudden, abrupt halt, sending another jarring bump through the cart. There was the sound of footsteps, of a key jangling as it was pulled out. Zuko tensed at the sound of the door being unlocked. In a few seconds, the identities of his captors would be revealed…

The door swung open.

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A/N: If you liked this story, I would suggest adding it to your story alert list; not b/c I need an ego boost but I suck with updates (school, EVIL homework…). Although I've written more, it may be a couple months or so before I get the chance to update. In any event, let me know what you think!


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